DANBURY, Conn. — Shoppers in the Danbury area will have another option for groceries and other goodies when Whole Foods Market opens near the Danbury Fair mall this spring.

Whole Foods Market, the Texas-based healthy food empire that was founded in 1980 with a staff of 19, now has more than 340 stores throughout the United States, United Kingdom and Canada. It is now the eighth largest food and drug store in the nation.

The Danbury store is unique, spokesman Michael Sinatra said. “No two Whole Foods Market stores are ever truly the same.” There isn’t a “shell,” he said, that is followed to design a new Whole Foods Market. Therefore, there is leeway in the concept and design for each new venue. But, he said, there will certainly be “familiarity” in terms of what shoppers expect in cruising the Whole Foods aisles.

The new Danbury Whole Foods Market, located on the grounds of the former Marcus Dairy, adjacent to a new Panera and Petco and across from the Danbury Fair mall, will sport 38,000 square feet of retail space. “Comparatively speaking, it’s larger than Milford and Greenwich and slightly larger than Westport, but it’s smaller than Darien and Fairfield,” Sinatra said of the store's size.

But just because Whole Foods prides itself on healthful fare, that doesn’t mean you’ll find rows of only flax seeds and organic flour. “Whole Foods Market is a full-service grocery store,” said Sinatra. Shoppers can expect to find a variety of options in every department, including specific hard-to-find ingredients typically found in a specialty store, such as vegan, dairy- or gluten-free items.

Although healthy eating — in the form of fresh ingredients and the opportunity to choose, lean and portion-sized options — is important to the founding philosophy of the company, Whole Foods also offers “indulgent cheeses, imported chocolates, dry-aged beef and sweet bakery treats,” he said.

The company is looking forward to becoming part of the Danbury community, Sinatra said. And given the sweet bakery treats option, the sentiment will no doubt be returned.